Look Through My Eyes
by DenizenofTwilight
Summary: KH/Syfy Alice crossover. During Kingdom Hearts 3, after Aqua is brought back from the Realm of Darkness, she is sent to Wonderland. Learning soon that she is meant to protect the Princess of Heart, Alice, Aqua strives to get the New Yorker to safety. However, as Alice and Aqua are both soon faced with problems, it ends up being something easier said than done. HaLice and TerQua.


**Look Through My Eyes**

Aqua eyed the shampoo in front of her for a short moment, before the idea of getting a shower became too tempting for her to resist. Slinging a towel over her shoulder, she was about to go into the bathroom—and have her first shower in eleven years—but she paused at the door, thinking of Ventus. No doubt if she just disappeared a day after being rescued by Sora (it still amazed her that the four—now sixteen—year old she'd met so many years ago, had saved _her_), Ven would have a panic attack.

She wouldn't have blamed him. Just the thought of being away from dear Ven after so long... Caused Aqua a ridiculous amount of pain.

However, as Aqua clutched her hands to her heart desperately at the thought of it all, she was forced to remember the last time she'd felt this way.

Somehow, her thoughts always came back to Terra in the end. Her breath coming in heaving gasps, Aqua could feel herself falling apart at the seams; she wouldn't go to see Ven, then. Even after so long, she was still overprotective of him. She didn't want to cause him pain by letting him see her like this...

Using a bit of controlled blizzard magic, Aqua dampened her hair before she got into the shower. Wetting her hair early would save her some time, at least. And then she could be with Ven. After all, any minute away from him... and her new friends, as they awaited Master Xehanort's next move, was a minute wasted.

...

Aqua heard the words about the time the small mirror in the bathroom—that Yen Sid had warned her was enchanted—began filling with a strange light: A Princess of Heart's star had disappeared, but hadn't blinked out completely. The name of the girl she needed to find… was Alice.

...

Alice was just about to rip off all of her long black hair so it would stop snagging on the trees she, Hatter—and now Charlie—were trying to ride around. She'd long since learned her lesson about riding with Hatter, and she would not do so again. As if she'd been "comfy" with him when the Queen was holding Jack captive!

Anyway, perhaps the most vexing thing to Alice, as she tried to gather firewood, was how her hair kept whipping in Hatter's face. Though she was apologizing to him enough—through gritted teeth—to make sure he didn't think she was trying to come onto him (as if she was a hair flipping kind of girl in the slightest!), Hatter kept giving her a look that implied even though she hadn't been "comfy" on their ride, he had! Ugh.

For the umpteenth time since Alice had found herself stranded in Wonderland—she still couldn't believe it!—she wished she were wearing some color other than blue. After all, blue was the color of water, and it didn't seem that Hatter needed any more reminders of how pretty Alice looked in a "wet dress". Gah!

Trying her best to ignore the horrid situation she'd found herself landing in, Alice was chucking log after log at their would be campfire. Though Alice's throws were actually saving them time (as she had very good aim from being a martial arts instructor for so long), Hatter seemed to doubt her. As such, he was running back and forth to make sure the firewood had reached its intended destination, and looking more ragged each time. As Alice giggled now and then alongside Charlie at her "vassal's" predicament, she tried to hide all the worries and foresight seeming to prickle at the back of her mind.

She wasn't the Alice of Legend. She couldn't have been. But how could she still help these people? Though her primary concern was getting to the House of Cards to barter the ring for Jack, and return to New York with him... Alice didn't exactly want the ring in the Queen's hands, so she could just bring in more Oysters. Despite what Hatter had said to her when she'd first met him, Alice really doubted that the Oysters were "fine and relatively happy."

"Alice, you have that look on your face like you're going to go karate chopping again any minute. Mind telling me what's on your mind?" Though Alice's first thought was to stick her tongue out at Hatter, and inform him he'd been completely useless during the Caterpillar escapade (seriously; he hadn't even known half of the moves she'd used to save him, but even worse… he'd lied to her), such an action would have been counterproductive, so instead she whispered to Hatter that she needed a moment to herself (whilst patting him on the arm good-naturedly), and headed off in the direction they'd come after facing the Jabberwocky.

And though Alice knew the monster was long gone, she still decided she was going to keep well away from the forest they had first discovered it in. (Plus, she knew that if she traveled too far away from Charlie, he'd probably freak out for losing his charge. She'd already had to dance around him during the loudest parts of "Hey-Nonny-Nonny" to get as far as she had now.) As Alice began humming the chorus of said song to herself reluctantly, she tried to figure out just what she should do. The truth was, Hatter had stood by her, despite everything. It would have gone against the grain to betray him now, but...

It was thoughts like this that would keep her none the wiser, when a white haired man snuck up behind her.

...

As Terra stared at this girl, this Alice, it was an easy thing for guilt to lurch itself in his heart. Her black hair reminded him of Snow White, and how he'd scared her, for one. What bothered him most, though was that he was coming upon this girl with her attention elsewhere. Such a thing reminded him of the first time he'd messed up—the time that had allowed his hell of an existence to begin—his time with Aurora.

Besides the fact that both of their names started with "A" and whatnot, what really worried Terra was how long this girl's hair was... And that in her past life, it had been blond. She really was another Aurora, wasn't she? And as Terra threw himself to the ground and threw up everything that he'd eaten that morning, he was beginning to fear that Xehanort was wrestling control of him again. It had been earlier that day, oddly enough, that Terra had gained control for the first time in ten years; Xehanort had been acting out of sorts, and-

It didn't matter. He would _not _think about Xehanort now. If he did... It might make the old geezer play puppet master on him again. Right now, Terra's first order of business was to find Aqua. He'd sensed her Light signature when first coming to the world, but even though Aqua would probably kill him as soon as he saw her... Terra could see no other option.

He would _not_ go to Alice: the Princess of Heart he'd just happened upon by accident. For all he knew, it was all just part of Xehanort's scheme, and so he would _not_ put that girl in danger by coming close to her.

After all, the momentary lack of Xehanort in Terra's heart was probably, in itself, temporary. Still, it was better than nothing. And if he could do anything in the world, he would find Aqua and... And tell her to kill him when the time came. The way she'd fitted his hand around her Keyblade to save him, he would do the same for her.

"Aqua..."

"You know, I really don't like words pertaining to water anymore. After all, your lot call my kind 'Oysters', and then abuse them!"

"Wha-" Before Terra could even get the first word completely past his lips, he suddenly found that the girl he'd decided to stay away from, was aiming a roundhouse kick to his head. And she didn't miss.

As vertigo hit him, Terra found himself sinking to the ground below him and (just his luck) landing with his jaw hitting a twig, so that it cut upward from his chin to his upper cheek. Spitting blood out of his mouth, Terra could pretty much feel his eyes turn gold, as he summoned his Keyblade to evade the girl's strangely powerful moves. Too powerful, actually. It felt as though she had some sort of hard patting in the gloves she was wearing.

As Terra leaned back, but just to rear up and get to his feet again, the whitette had to wonder why this girl wasn't running away from him. Either she was venting out some long suppressed frustration (and it really had nothing to do with him), or she'd somehow taken offense to him. Still, as Terra dodged one of the girl's jabs towards his neck (that had also been sliced), he had to wonder why she hadn't just scampered off to safety instead of going after him. He hadn't charged at her at all, so why-

"How'd you summon a weapon like that? Huh? Don't tell me you emotionless people made a fix for magic, too!" The girl, Alice (though Terra err... Xehanort didn't remember her being this violent before), snarled as she reached for Terra's back, and tried to flip him over it.

In the end, that was her biggest mistake right there. Getting a good hold on the arm that she'd been trying to use against him, Terra ended up throwing her to the ground, and straddling her to keep her from hitting him. For a moment, he puzzled over just what her words meant. Did she know about Nobodies, or-

At once, Terra's attention was pulled from where it had been, as he noted the tears in this girl's eyes, that she was trying to fight back determinedly. The look, and the large amount of blue that the girl wore, reminded Terra so much of Aqua that and at once he was pulling away from her, and running back to where he'd first come from.

As darkness clouded his vision—and Xehanort used even metaphorical darkness to rustle control again—Terra was almost glad for his choices to be taken away from him. He didn't know what to do anymore. Or even _how _to do it. But mostly, at least with Xehanort pulling the strings, he could make excuses for what he did.

But even then, it hadn't been Xehanort that made the sobbing girl think he was going to hurt her. And as even more self-loathing filled him up, Terra could only revel in the rightness when someone's hardened knuckles (perhaps what had inspired Alice in _her_ gloves) hit him in the cheek. Gladly at that, Terra found himself losing consciousness. Happily at that, he soon found he knew nothing.

...

"Mr. Hatter," Aqua said awkwardly ("Hatter" still didn't seem like a proper name to her, but who was she to chastise a world's traditions?), "You must be warned. When we find Alice, she might not be... herself. She might have lost her heart."

Closing her eyes, as her mouth seemed to fill with led, Aqua tried not to see Hatter's reaction to her words. He'd just earlier explained to her how he thought their entire world had already lost its heart (which was why people were buying bottled emotions the Queen had exploited them with). As the whole situation reminded Aqua so much of Nobodies, she didn't have the heart to tell Hatter that joining a resistance probably wouldn't do a thing to stop that kind of greed: A greed that would undoubtedly call the Heartless to it once again.

And if Aqua was right, and Ter- Xehanort had gotten to Alice while she was away... There was a strong chance her heart was gone, and so... so was she. She wouldn't even make a Nobody like Kairi had. If that was the case, Aqua had long since decided that she'd put her own heart into Alice's body. Though Alice's personality might be somewhat off-kilter after that, Yen Sid (when she had contacted him magically, and accused him of setting everything up) had told her such a thing could work. Since Aqua's heart was one of pure Light (though she wasn't a Princess of Heart herself), if she sacrificed herself and gave her heart to a Princess that had lost hers... The small fragment that made up Kingdom Hearts could be saved.

And remembering how Terra had taken the heart of Princess Aurora once, Aqua was almost certain that it was her time to make up for that now. Where she'd failed him before, she wouldn't fail again. It was her duty as a Keyblade Master—one of the first Guardians of Light—to do what she had to to protect the world. More than that, it was her duty to protect her friends no matter what. And if Terra ended up being used for such a task again… She _would_ be there to make it right. She just wished that her last sacrifice would be for Ven and Terra. Though Aqua knew she should have been honored to have the ability to save someone else... somehow, she wished it would be Terra or Ven that she'd rescue in her last moments.

…

In the end, it only took the group of misfits a short bit to dispatch the possessed Terra that they'd happened upon. What had really taken the longest was dragging him back to their sanctuary of sorts. Though Aqua hadn't been in this new world very long at all, there had been enough time for her to find Hatter and Charlie (right before Alice had left), and share all the information that she had with them.

The first thing they'd discussed was how Aqua needed to take Alice back to Yen Sid's tower for safekeeping. And… that hadn't gone over well with Hatter; despite the sense Aqua had that he was a bit of a lady's man, he didn't seem to trust her as far as he could throw her. This was lessened, somewhat, when he'd noted Aqua's armored boots and device on her shoulder for some reason.

Anyway, things had gotten a bit better when Aqua related to Hatter (and a seemingly knowing Charlie) just who she was, and what Alice was needed for. However, as Alice didn't seem to believe anything that Aqua said, and seemed dead set on staying where she was to find her Jack… Aqua was beginning to fear that Alice would be as less of a help as she had been on her first adventure. Feeling more and more connected to the ebony haired girl,

Aqua tried to relate all of her regrets to Alice, and get her to see she'd feel the same things if she didn't help out, but… The words never came. Instead, Aqua listened to Alice become less and less doubtful, and it didn't seem like there was a thing she could do to stop it.

"So, let me get this straight," Alice said with a lilt to her voice that only could have been described as skeptic. "You have a way to take me home right now without the Looking Glass, but I have to abandon Jack?"

As Aqua winced at the harsh tone Alice was using towards her, she looked over to where Terra was laid unconscious, and really hoped that he- Xehanort wasn't hearing all of this information about Alice.

As guilt for all that had happened to Terra and Ven enveloped her, Aqua found a new strength rising within her (she would never let anything like that happen again; she wouldn't). And so looking at Alice sternly, Aqua took charge like the Master she truly was. After all, she had seen things that this girl couldn't have even dreamed. "Yes. You are in danger not just from this Xehanort, but other ones. You must come with me at once. I don't believe that it's a coincidence that you mean to go to the Hearts' Casino. You'll lose your heart there, and the multiverse will be lost. Plus, I've heard just how evil the Queen here can be. I'm sorry to say this, Alice, but I think that road is lost."

As Rainfell appeared in Aqua's hand in a flash of Light, she recalled how she'd once thought that destroying all Darkness (like Lady Tremaine, who was very much like the Queen of Hearts) was the best way to go about things. Though she knew better now, from Cinderella's fairy godmother and people like Riku... It was surprisingly difficult to ignore what Eraqus had taught her all along, and not just end the reign of the evil Queen. If she did, Alice would be much safer.

But, as Aqua knew that wasn't who she was, or justice in the slightest, she deemed that if Alice wouldn't come with her, she would just have to keep her as safe as she could in this world. Still... Aqua had to be a bit irritated at Yen Sid for sending her on such a mission, and not someone like Sora, who could bend anyone to their will. Really, what had the Sorcerer been thinking?

"Just Alice has said she will not go without Jack Chase; I fear your efforts are wasted, Oh, Fellow Knight. But be it known, I will do anything to get Alice of Legend to the safety of the Seven."

Smiling despite herself, Aqua held up a hand to silence Alice's spiel about not being "Alice of Legend". Bowing respectively to the last knight of the Red King's, Aqua had to admit that he very well might have been able to help her in her plight. Much to Aqua's benefit, Charlie seemed to have some knowledge about Keyblade wielders, and the Princesses of Heart, so surely that was a great start, at least.

Much more important than anything, however, was that Charlie had seemed almost relieved upon meeting Aqua. It had been he that had smoothed the would-be-tension between Hatter, Alice, and Aqua, when she'd first arrived. And in doing so, he seemed... so happy somehow. Even Alice had remarked that he had begun singing " Hey-Nonny-Nonny " in a higher key.

And though Aqua felt her heart swell for Charlie just because he reminded her of the Master she'd loved... She did have to admit she was quite partial to him because he seemed to want to help her. Perhaps more accurately, he wanted to help Alice. Unlike Hatter and Alice herself, Charlie and Aqua recognized who Alice really was, and they both wanted her to reach her full potential. In complete safety of course, but-

"I'm still not so sure you're not a spy of Caterpillar's. You tell us what we want to hear so we sleep soundly, and then you steal the ring in the night. Sounds like quite a plan, right? The only thing I can't figure is how you would have found us, or why you would have come by yourself. Granted you're armed, but you also seem someone worthy of trust. It's difficult to say."

Tilting her head to the side the slightest bit, Aqua was about to ask Hatter what his verdict was (as on one hand, he seemed mistrusting of her, but also doubted her a spy for being so ill prepared). However, his slight smile at her seemed to be answer enough.

"Please, you must believe me," Aqua muttered, to the sound of a gurgling stream, and the feel of sunlight burning her skin. Closing her eyes to take both in, Aqua prayed soundly that the sound of the stream's direction was a sign that Alice would take the appointed path. More importantly, though, as she saw Terra rousing up out of the corner of her eye, she hoped that the light shining on her was a hint that she was speaking with the Light's voice. This _had_ to work.

Sitting down on a log she stumbled on, Aqua meant to appeal to the people present with something she should have used in the situation with Ven and Terra long ago. The heart. No more would she be clinical about her emotions. No more. "If not for yourselves, or even each other, think about your other loved ones. Alice, what about your Jack Chase? And Hatter, what about the girl you mentioned, Carlotta St. Delaware? And Charlie…" Though Aqua was certain for the most part that Charlie would aid her, and she didn't need to go to such measures for him, she found she couldn't leave him out of the sudden inspiration she was having.

Trying to swallow down the surge of feelings she was having, Aqua felt a little better for it all, when she faced Charlie and pulled on his beard a little. Laughing a bit, despite the tension, and crying in a small bit of mirth for once, Aqua touched Charlie's cheek, and said, "And you, Noble-Last-Knight, I don't have to tell you the pain of losing comrades in arms. Though you, or me, didn't make much a dent in things last time, we're going to be stronger this time, right?"

"I feel, Aqua, of the Keyblade Legend, that I want nothing more than to charge into battle with the dents in my armor, and forge new marks in your adversaries'. As I pledged to protect Alice of Legend from all harm, so will I pledge myself to aid you."

Smiling giddily, Aqua knew that she had Hatter and Alice both when she put a hand to Charlie's cheek in thanks, and he put a hand to his other cheek, deeming that "Symmetry can create healing, you know. And though I want the villains to face the wrath of the armor they themselves damaged, it probably would be best if my armor wasn't completely destroyed."

Yes, Aqua hadn't missed the small smile Alice had after that, or the way her eyes kept traveling back to the throne of the Red King (no doubt remembering Charlie had been right about leading them to the Kingdom of the Knights, and that it was best to follow Charlie's seemingly weird advice). Eying Hatter, too, Aqua thought that Hatter would probably like nothing more than to spite Charlie, but wanting to get revenge on the Queen of Hearts, would probably look for hope in Aqua's idea, too.

And who knew, perhaps despite even Hatter's inner doubts on seemingly everything... Maybe his real faith rested in Alice's decision, and in Alice herself.

…

Aqua thought it was probably well past five in the morning, when she finally decided if the silly knight wasn't going to go to bed, then who was she to doubt his job at keeping watch?

Digging out the sleeping bag she'd, fortunately, been able to conjure up before the world's strange vertigo messed up her magic too thoroughly, Aqua was about to take a nap (with her makeshift bed especially close to Alice's, just in case), when the hairs on the back of her neck began standing up.

Moving slowly, to try and psych out her possible assailant into thinking she hadn't noticed his presence, Aqua flexed her fingers to summon her Keyblade. Then, whirling around as fast as she was able, she thought she might just give this person ice to the heart, but she was brought up short when she was met with not white, but brown hair.

Her heart filling up with more emotion than she thought she could name, Aqua's first thought was to run at Terra—not Xehanort, Terra—immediately, and embrace him. As all the words she'd wanted to say to Terra for a very long time made themselves known even more, Aqua thought she was very close to losing all sense, and possibly dooming their mission in the process.

Fortunately, though, she was able to hang onto her head, and note that it was all probably a trick, but what Charlie of all people was doing beside Terra… Aqua had no idea.

"Damn it, Terra!" Aqua hissed, as she aimed her Keyblade at Terra's neck. Moving as far as she could from where Alice was, Aqua backed Terra up as far as she could in the clearing, and Charlie was quick to follow.

Somewhere deep in Aqua's heart, she must have known that it was really Terra she was facing; as anger and ridiculousness clouded up her judgment more and more, she didn't want Terra far away from Alice, as much as she didn't trust _herself_ not to blow Alice up in her anger. Really, though, there was no mistaking that stupid grin on his face. "What are you doing here, huh? Do you know how stupid, and risky, it was to come here?! And you know, I saw you waking up earlier today! Why couldn't you have done something then, instead of scaring me in the middle of the ni-"

"Now, Aqua. Calm down now, please," Terra said surprisingly cautiously (if Aqua had been a better mood, she might have laughed), as he held his hands up, and regarded Aqua with a small smile. "That would not have been a bad time to speak up, would it have? Those two were already suspicious of you, and since I'd lost control and attacked Alice earlier..." Looking into Terra's cobalt eyes, Aqua had to admit he brought up a good point. As his sincere water—water colored, not gold! —looked into her eyes, Aqua at once felt memory after memory washing over her.

As the real, and true Terra calmed her in a way only he'd ever been able to, Aqua suddenly knew what a complete moron she was being, and without any more thought to the action, Aqua ran at Terra's arms full force, meaning to hug him, but soon found herself tackling him instead. As she embraced Terra to herself as strongly as she could—she never wanted to let him go! —, and mumbled many incoherent things to him, Aqua knew she was probably doing herself a disservice by undoubtedly waking Alice and Hatter up, and probably making them think she was a wack job (and possibly a traitor, for hugging the man who had attacked Alice), but she just couldn't help it. Instead, all she could focus on was the feel of Terra, and all the things she wanted to know.

"Terra, how? I-I-I'm s-so glad you're b-ba-ack, but-"

"Xehanort created his own undoing with me, Aqua." Terra announced, as he hugged Aqua to his chest, and took to running a hand through her hair. As Aqua breathed in the earthy smell of him, and bit at the "x" on his outfit, so Master Xehanort couldn't track him anymore, she thought that Terra's hugs had to be the greatest things in the world. How had she ever gone without them? She felt so much better now. So much more herself, and in control now that Terra was back! She felt like she could relax, and be less uptight about Ven now, and… well, less uptight about everything. Now that Terra was back, she knew she wouldn't have to carry everyone's burden alone. And even though she still felt completely lost about what would happen with the Keyblade War coming... She could believe that everything would be all right in the end, so long as Terra was with her. Terra…

"This whole situation was so familiar. But more than that, Xehanort should have never sent me after you again. Not like this. After I attacked Alice, and even before... Aqua, in now knowing you can give up your life to save a Princess of Heart, there was no way I could have let that happen. I don't know. Maybe my horror at taking Aurora's heart would have been enough to snap me awake when I tried to take Alice's. But knowing I would sacrifice you in that circumstance, in one way or another- I couldn't do it, Aqua. I just couldn't. And I'm so sorry. So sorry for everything."

"Oh, Terra-"

"This scene I think is just what I think you needed to find your true strength, Aqua of Keyblades. And I only hope Alice, and her _vassal_, can take something from this scene, too."

As the almost forgotten form of Charlie reminded Aqua of her duties, and gave her hope that the similar-to-her Alice _might_ listen more, if she remembered she needed others' help, too, Aqua was distracted from her actions of feeling Terra's face to see if he was truly real. But even as she looked around and saw that Hatter and Alice were eaves dropping (even if they were pretending they weren't), Aqua found she was far too tired and distracted to strike with Charlie's plan when the iron was hot. Instead, she kissed Terra's face for just a moment, and gave Charlie the benefit of having the solo guard duty he'd always wanted. Just for a moment.

Really, though. Aqua wondered if it would be best to leave everything up to Charlie. He was just too great, and she'd always be indebted to him for this. She'd always consider him a friend.

...

Alice hadn't been able to sleep after Charlie had orchestrated that scene between Aqua, and her boyfriend, Terra. On one hand, she was indignant that he would do such a thing when she couldn't escape from hearing their discussion. But on the other... Alice felt a light in her, heart for lack of better words (ugh! She was starting to sound like them), telling her it was all true.

Thinking some fresh air might do her some good, Alice left her bed much earlier than any of the others had (even Charlie was now dozing off in the corner), and eying the log she'd sat on the day prior, she quickly headed to it, and sat on the little stump in thought. As she heard birds fly overhead, and they seemed not to be affected at all by the drugs the Queen had made, Alice very much wanted to believe that it was a sign that there was still some good left in the world. So perhaps she should trust this Aqua and Terra's plan, then?

"Ya know, you're quite easy to sneak up on for someone with fight training. What are you doing up so early, Alice?" Whirling around to see the dreaded image of Hatter smiling at her too kindly, Alice resisted the urge to scream in frustration, for being so unaware of her surroundings lately. This world, that seemed to be her worst nightmares incarnate, was really getting her off her game. In fact, at Hatter's unintentional reprimand, Alice felt her muscles tighten, as if to say she _hadn't_ been keeping up with her routines, and senses lately. Ugh.

"What are you doing here, Hatter?" Alice snarled with more venom than she'd truly intended. Though she was loath to admit it, the truth of the matter was that the arrival of Aqua, and now Terra, had put them on the same side more or less. If nothing else, they had the same mindset in that regard, at least. Still, as Alice glimpsed the sheen of the "sledge hammer" hidden in Hatter's glove, she thought it was probably best to direct him away from the line to the Red King's throne. She didn't want him to find out where she'd hidden the ring, after all.

"Oh, this?!" Hatter exclaimed, seeming truly shocked, as he guessed correctly what Alice was looking at. Unfortunately for him, he turned his weapon-hand too close to Alice's face to be reassuring; and so she scampered away from him without a second thought. Still, Hatter either wasn't the wiser to his mistake, or was pretending not to have noticed, as he continued to prattle onto Alice.

As much as Alice hated to admit it, he was reminding her of the way her father had always acted under one of her mother's lectures. "I'm not going to hit you over the head with this, Alice. I just meant to tell you I come in peace, before you could go all crazy on me. But then again, you're already partly there, aren't you?"

Not even stopping to hear Hatter's words out, or come any closer so he could smell the salt of invisible tears stinging her eyes, Alice turned away from Hatter just at the proper moment: Just at the moment the sun peaked out from the clouds, and made her squint with its rays. There. Now there was no way he'd ever note she'd been crying. That was what she got for-

"Wait, Alice!" Hatter shouted, as he shot forward with more speed than Alice knew he possessed, and latched onto her arm. "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. It's no wonder this world is so topsy-turvy, what with people making you feel like this all the time."

"What are you talking about, Hatter?" Alice asked irritated, as she unconsciously began pulling off the coat he had given her to hide the mark of the Oyster. Alice didn't know what felt worse, the burn mark on her arm from being "burned by the light", or the fact that Hatter was now trying to stop her from taking the coat off, as he continued to talk to her. She certainly knew what hurt the most emotionally.

"I was talking to those guys some last night. And apparently they believe Wonderland is made up of Alice's—that is, your—state of mind. That idea's madder than a box of frogs, right? I almost didn't believe it myself! But Alice, what is your worst fear if not heights? It seems pretty accurate to m-"

"Don't tell me you're now blaming me for the state of this world, buster!" Alice deadpanned, as she held a hand up defensively, while her hair decided to smack Hatter in the face due to the wind.

What she hadn't been prepared for, though, was for Hatter to suddenly latch onto her hand, and look into her eyes deeply when saying, "What I'm saying, Alice... is that I believe you could have that much power. I believe in you, and what those guys say about you."

"Hatter..." And, of course, it would be that moment that Charlie, Aqua, and Terra came walking in their direction. Moving away from Hatter instantly, Alice tried very much to take in the beautiful, same notes of Charlie's "Hey-Nonny-Nonny", and forget whatever moment she and Hatter had just been in.

And she had to roll her eyes when she saw the brunette, Terra, nod at the other brunette, Hatter, as he walked by. Apparently Terra'd been in on all the things Hatter'd just said to her. Ugh! She should have known that, too, after having heard what Charlie said the night before. Men.

Deciding perhaps it was best if the women in the group stuck together, after all, Alice found herself venturing over to Aqua, who was midst of squeezing her star shaped charm, and seemingly thinking hard about something. Nudging Aqua's shoulder with her own to get her attention, Alice was about to warm up to Aqua, and ask if she needed her help with something, but Aqua was already beating her to the punch.

Tucking a strand of blue hair behind her ear, Aqua looked at Alice with equally blue eyes and muttered. "It's strange. I didn't think I could handle this mission at all, but I think it had to go this way. All of it. Yen Sid must have known that: That only someone who had felt completely helpless in her own adventure... Could help someone who felt the same way right now."

Choosing to ignore that Aqua seemed to be in a trance, or having an epiphany of sorts, Alice sighed, and sagged her shoulders, as she knew what was going to happen now. Maybe she'd always known it would, but there was no denying that Aqua's words—and even Hatter and Charlie's kindness—had resonated with her. She would... She would do _anything_ to keep them safe, so maybe that meant she was a Princess of Heart, after all.

Taking a leap of face, Alice chose to trust Aqua the way she had come to trust Hatter, and so, she named her terms. "Look, I have no renovations with going with you if you get me and Jack home afterwards, but I don't want the ring here. Or Oysters-"

"I can promise you all of that, Ms. Alice. Once we're certain it's safe for you, we'll take you back to your New York instantly. As for Jack and the Oysters, I'll send Riku on a quest to find Jack. With his stealth, it should be no problem for him to secure him. And for the ring... I think it's best to keep it with Master Yen Sid for now. No doubt, he'll have a plan for it."

"And," Terra added, as he came behind Aqua and wrapped his arms around her, to which Aqua squealed in shock. "If you set a date and time with this 'Caterpillar' to grab all the Oysters, one of us can be there to open a Corridor of Light, and send them all home at the same time. You wouldn't even need to use the Looking Glass."

"It sounds like a great deal, Alice of Legend," Charlie announced, as he found the ring from where Alice had put it on the skeleton of the Red King, and gave it to her.

Looking at the reflection of Charlie, Aqua, Terra, Hatter, and herself in the Stone of Wonderland, for the first time since Alice had arrived in this strange world, she didn't feel like things were spiraling out of control. For once, she felt like everything was going to turn out right. But somehow, and most of all, it was when Hatter said it looked as though he'd decided to go to a new world with her, after all... That Alice trusted in him, and the things he'd said to her… and chose to believe in herself the way Hatter had come to.

Looking at the people around her, Alice thought they were at least legendary, even if she wasn't. So maybe, that was the truth of her story, then, but that didn't make it any less of a legend.

"Yes, yes it does." And so Alice put the ring on Aqua's Rainfell, and watched with a smile that echoed Aqua's when it turned into a much more powerful Keyblade. And at least for a moment, when Aqua reached for Alice's hand to lead her through the Corridor of Light—after a blond in the portal had done the same for Aqua—Alice thought that perhaps she and Aqua could both do great things.

**Author's Note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DANI-CHAN! I love you so much, girl! You're one of the best friends I could ever ask for, and I hope you're having a great B-day! And that you'll like this story;)**

**As I know you love TerQua—and your WK and TL stories have amazing TerQua moments that made me ship them even more—I only thought it was appropriate I wrote you this on your day! Also, since I know you liked Syfy Alice, and I've had this idea for a while, this ended up being born! :)**

**And man, I had so much fun writing this! Terra/Aqua and Halice for the win (I need to write more for these pairings)! I hope other people will enjoy the banter as much as I did. Hahaha. KH and Syfy Alice are too awesome.**

**Anyway, happy birthday again, Dani. Hope to talk to you soon, dear. –hugs-**

**-Shan**

**P.S. I hope maybe/possibly this KH story will get you to update WK or TL. –wink, wink; nudge, nudge- ;)**


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